Public officials are not infallible, and sometimes they get caught by the law. Here are some notable examples.

Public officials are not infallible, and sometimes they get caught by the law. Here are some notable examples.

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Former Governor Rick Perry

was indicted on Aug. 15, 2014, on power and coercion charges, after being accused of abusing his veto power to try to force out the Democratic Travis County district attorney in the wake of her messy drunken-driving arrest, a previous report states. Texas' highest criminal court tossed the case in February.

was arrested at about 3 a.m. Sunday, July 31, 2016, on a charge of driving while intoxicated. He plead no contest to the Class B misdemeanor DWI charge.

Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Wolff

was arrested at about 3 a.m. Sunday, July 31, 2016, on a charge of driving while intoxicated. He plead no contest to the Class B misdemeanor DWI charge.

Photo: Bexar County Sheriff’s Office

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David Scott Glickler

, a county court-at-law judge in Hays County, was arrested on May 26, 2015, on a drunken driving charge. On May 5, 2016, Glickler pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three days in jail.

David Scott Glickler

, a county court-at-law judge in Hays County, was arrested on May 26, 2015, on a drunken driving charge. On May 5, 2016, Glickler pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three days in jail.

Photo: Hays County Jail

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13th Court of Appeals judge Nora Longoria

was arrested on suspicion of DWI on July 12, 2014 in McAllen. She was charged with speeding, while a second charge, driving while intoxicated, was dismissed by an outgoing Hidalgo County district attorney in 2014. In July 2016, she submitted a petition to have the DWI arrest expunged from her record.

a 70-year-old Williamson County court-at-law judge, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison in August 2015 for illegally selling more than 60 firearms, dozens of which wound up in the hands of men smuggling the guns into Mexico. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks ordered that Wright serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence, according to a previous report.

, a 51-year-old deputy constable for McLennan County, was arrested on Feb. 27, 2015, for allegedly soliciting a prostitute under the age of 18. McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara told the Waco Tribune-Herald that Canava has been an officer for "many years." Canava was later placed on deferred misdemeanor probation for two years after pleading guilty, according to the Waco newspaper.

, Indian Lake Police Department chief, was convicted on 14 felony counts of tampering with governmental records and was placed on five years' probation on Jan. 8, 2016. An indictment accused Chambers of knowingly making a false entry in a governmental record regarding firearms qualifications for some of his officers, according to a previous report.

Former Webb County Commissioner Mike Montemayor was sentenced to more than six years in prison in January 2015 for taking bribes in the form of cash and electronics from an undercover FBI agent posing as a businessman. less

Former Webb County Commissioner Mike Montemayor was sentenced to more than six years in prison in January 2015 for taking bribes in the form of cash and electronics from an undercover FBI agent posing as a ... more

Photo: CUATE SANTOS

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Brownsville Police Officer Ruben Castillo

was charged with state-jail felony theft and forgery in December 2014, according to a previous report.

Brownsville Police Officer Ruben Castillo

was charged with state-jail felony theft and forgery in December 2014, according to a previous report.

Photo: Brownsville Police Department

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Harlingen Police Department Sgt. Robert Ahrens

was indicted on Dec. 17, 2014, for allegedly laundering $1,500 to $20,000 in drug money. He accepted a plea deal in January 2016 to avoid jail time, and was placed on five years' probation, according to KRGV.

Former Maverick County Commissioner Rodolfo Heredia was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for one count of receiving a bribe in February 2015. He also admitted to bid-rigging.

Former Maverick County Commissioner Rodolfo Heredia was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for one count of receiving a bribe in February 2015. He also admitted to bid-rigging.

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Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price

is accused of accepting gifts from two political consultants in exchange for giving them insider information and voting for certain projects. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and is trial will resume in February 2017.

A Texas appeals court tossed the criminal conviction of Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013, saying there was insufficient evidence for a jury in 2010 to have found him guilty of illegally funneling money to Republican candidates. less

A Texas appeals court tossed the criminal conviction of Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013, saying there was insufficient evidence for a jury in 2010 to have found him guilty ... more

Photo: Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press

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43rd U.S. President George W. Bush

was arrested on Sept. 4, 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. It was revealed just days before the 2000 presidential election.

43rd U.S. President George W. Bush

was arrested on Sept. 4, 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. It was revealed just days before the 2000 presidential election.

Photo: Pool, Getty Images

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Texas State Rep. Naomi Gonzalez

was charged with driving while intoxicated in March 2013 after crashing her BMW into another car, which then hit a bicyclist. She was later sentenced to 15 days in jail after pleading no contest.

Former State District Judge Angus McGinty was indicted on 15 counts related to allegations of bribe-taking and misdeeds on June 19, 2014. He was later sentenced to two years in prison.

Former State District Judge Angus McGinty was indicted on 15 counts related to allegations of bribe-taking and misdeeds on June 19, 2014. He was later sentenced to two years in prison.

Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News

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San Marcos police officer James Palermo

was charged with aggravated assault by a public servant, after allegedly roughing up and wrongfully arresting a 22-year-old woman, in July 2013.

San Marcos police officer James Palermo

was charged with aggravated assault by a public servant, after allegedly roughing up and wrongfully arresting a 22-year-old woman, in July 2013.

Photo: COURTESY

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Former Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino pleaded guilty in April 2014 to money laundering. He was sentenced to five years in prison on July 17, 2014.

Former Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino pleaded guilty in April 2014 to money laundering. He was sentenced to five years in prison on July 17, 2014.

Photo: Gabe Hernandez, Associated Press

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Former Guadalupe County Judge Mike Wiggins was arrested after marijuana was found in his hotel room in College Station. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in February 2013 and was placed on six months deferred adjudication, fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. less

Former Guadalupe County Judge Mike Wiggins was arrested after marijuana was found in his hotel room in College Station. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in February 2013 and was ... more

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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Former 404th state District Judge Abel Limas, who turned his courtroom into a money-making operation, was sentenced Aug. 21, 2013, to six years in prison followed by three years of unsupervised release on one count of racketeering in Brownsville. less

Former 404th state District Judge Abel Limas, who turned his courtroom into a money-making operation, was sentenced Aug. 21, 2013, to six years in prison followed by three years of unsupervised release on one ... more

Photo: Yvette Vela, Associated Press

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In August 2013, former State Rep. Jose Santiago "Jim" Solis was convicted of aiding and abetting the extortion by former state district judge Abel Corral Limas and sentenced to 47 months in federal prison.

In August 2013, former State Rep. Jose Santiago "Jim" Solis was convicted of aiding and abetting the extortion by former state district judge Abel Corral Limas and sentenced to 47 months in federal prison.

Photo: Yvette Vela, Associated Press

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Former Kaufman County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace and convicted killer Eric Williams was sentenced to death after slaying Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse on Jan. 31, 2013, and District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, on March 30, 2013, in a revenge plot. Williams' wife was sentenced to 40 years in prison. less

Former Kaufman County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace and convicted killer Eric Williams was sentenced to death after slaying Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse on Jan. 31, 2013, and ... more

Photo: Uncredited, Associated Press

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Former State Rep. Kino Flores was accused of using his elected position to sell legislative favors and was convicted Oct. 27, 2010, on all 11 counts of tampering with government records and perjury.

Former State Rep. Kino Flores was accused of using his elected position to sell legislative favors and was convicted Oct. 27, 2010, on all 11 counts of tampering with government records and perjury.

Photo: Jay Janner, Austin American-Statesman

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State Rep. Ron Reynolds

and seven other lawyers were charged in 2013 with an "ambulance chasing for profit" scheme, otherwise known as barratry.

State Rep. Ron Reynolds

and seven other lawyers were charged in 2013 with an "ambulance chasing for profit" scheme, otherwise known as barratry.

Photo: Handout

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Officer Billy Browning, 36, resigned from the Corpus Christi Police Department after spending months on administrative leave following a driving while intoxicated arrest, KIII 3 News reported. Browning was arrested at around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 23 after another officer found him in his crashed car — which was missing one tire — east of John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway, according to police. less

Webb County Precinct 2, Place 2 justice of the peace, pleaded guilty on Sept. 4, 2014, to one count of extortion.

Ricardo Rangel,

Webb County Precinct 2, Place 2 justice of the peace, pleaded guilty on Sept. 4, 2014, to one count of extortion.

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A visiting judge found Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty guilty of contempt of court on Aug. 6, 2015, and sentenced her to 10 days in jail and a $500 fine.

A visiting judge found Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty guilty of contempt of court on Aug. 6, 2015, and sentenced her to 10 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Photo: Williamson County Jail

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Perry vows to fight 'outrageous' indictment

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AUSTIN – A defiant Gov. Rick Perry on Saturday promised to fight what he called an "outrageous" felony indictment by a Travis County grand jury, saying the charges that he abused his power are themselves an abuse.

"We don't settle political differences with indictments in this country," said Perry, pumped up as he fights for his political future and his legacy. He is battling the indictment as he nears the end of his tenure as Texas' longest-serving governor and eyes a 2016 White House run.

The indictment returned Friday reaches back to his promise last year to veto funding for the public corruption unit overseen by Democratic Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned after a messy drunken driving arrest.

She stayed in office after pleading guilty and serving a jail sentence.

Perry stopped the money to the office, prompting a criminal complaint by Texans for Public Justice, a liberal government accountability group, that claimed he went too far by using his veto power to try to oust a locally elected official.

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At the time of the veto, the Public Integrity Unit was investigating a scandal at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, an agency whose creation was championed by Perry.

Perry was indicted Friday on one count of abuse of official capacity, a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison, and one count of coercion of a public servant, a third-degree felony carrying a punishment of two to 10 years in prison.

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"It is outrageous that some would use partisan political theatrics to rip away at the very fabric of our state's constitution," said Perry. "This indictment amounts to nothing more than abuse of power, and I cannot and I will not allow that to happen."

The Republican governor said he acted within his constitutional power and given the opportunity would do the same thing again.

The special prosecutor in the case, San Antonio lawyer Michael McCrum, in an Express-News interview earlier Saturday turned aside as "ridiculous" the notion that the grand jury action was politically motivated, addressing a statement by Perry lawyer David Botsford that the indictment amounted to "political abuse of the court system."

Botsford "can only be implying that it's either me, or the grand jury, who are motivated by politics, and that's not only ridiculous, but it's disappointing," McCrum said, "because of the many conversations that I've had with Mr. Botsford where he knows full well that was never an issue in our discussions."

"It's important to note that while that may be good rhetoric for the state, there's absolutely no basis for it," McCrum added. "My investigation not only did not involve that, but my conversations with Mr. Botsford have never involved that. It's always been about the facts and the law."

The indictment could, however, derail Perry's political plans as he seeks to rehabilitate his national reputation following a failed 2012 White House run, and it could be a shadow on his legacy as governor.

Just ask the lawyer for former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who stepped down in the face of a money-laundering indictment, followed by a conviction in state district court that was overturned on an appeal and is before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

"You can beat the rap, but you can't beat the ride. Whether you like Rick Perry or not, he's going to be taken for a ride," said Brian Wice, representing DeLay in his appeal.

Effects on 2016 plans

Perry's presidential aspirations, if not DOA, might be "in a coma" while he fights the issue, Wice said.

"Twelve well-meaning jurors who believe that they have a monopoly on wisdom and are doing the right thing can essentially sound the death knell for any politician," Wice said. "That's what happened to Tom DeLay and that's what happened to Rick Perry ..... .What they did to Tom DeLay, what they did to Rick Perry..... they can do to anybody and that ought to scare the bejeebers out of you."

Political scientist Dennis Goldford of Drake University in Des Moines called the indictment "certainly a nuisance but not yet a catastrophe" in looking at his political prospects in the crucial early voting state of Iowa, which Perry has visited regularly.

"There's a difference between high winds and a tornado. For right now, this is more in the area of the high winds. If they get a conviction, then it's a tornado," Goldford said.

Larry Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said Republican activists in states like Iowa have "an embarrassment of riches" in terms of candidates courting them.

"They look for a reason to eliminate someone, because it's tough making a decision if you really agree with most of the candidates. Well, this is a reason," Sabato said. "They can say, 'I appreciate what he did. I'm glad he stood up. But this isn't going to look good in a general election campaign.'"

Democrats for a second day hammered Perry on Saturday.

"For a guy who prides himself on being Mr. Law & Order, he seems to have little respect for the rule of law. This isn't a partisan witch hunt. It's our legal process," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Mo Elleithee.

Republicans including a main Perry rival in the Texans-who-might-run-for-president category, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, rallied to his defense in the wake of Friday's indictment.

Cruz called him "a friend" and "a man of integrity" in a tweet with the hashtag #StandWithRick Perry.

"Unfortunately, there has been a sad history of the Travis County District Attorney's Office engaging in politically-motivated prosecutions, and this latest indictment of the governor is extremely questionable," Cruz wrote on Facebook.

Republicans, including Perry, noted that the indictment was delivered in Austin, an area whose liberal leanings in happier times prompted Perry to nickname it "the blueberry in the tomato soup" of Texas. The precise partisan leanings of all the grand jurors wasn't immediately clear.

"There are a lot of people on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, who have looked at this and understand it to be exactly what we're seeing - a political decision that has been made in Travis County," Perry said.

Partisan decision?

The Public Integrity Unit has been a target of state officials who see political motivation in its power to pursue cases against their kind.

Lehmberg worked closely with former District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat whose high-profile prosecutions included the DeLay case and his prosecution of former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who was acquitted. Earle also prosecuted cases against Democrats, including the late former Attorney General Jim Mattox, who was acquitted.

Recently, Texans for Public Justice filed a complaint in Travis County with the Public Integrity Unit against Sen. Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate for attorney general, contending he committed a felony by referring clients to a North Texas investment firm without registering with state authorities. A spokesman has said Paxton resolved the matter and suggested the complaint was driven by Democrats.

The case against Perry has been handled, not directly by Lehmberg but by McCrum, who was appointed as a special prosecutor in the case by Senior Judge Bert Richardson, also of San Antonio.

Richardson is a Republican, and McCrum was supported by Democrats and Republicans for a federal prosecutor post but withdrew his name from consideration in 2010 because of a bogged-down nomination process.

Craig McDonald of Texans for Public Justice, which filed the initial complaint against Perry, said people can't presume the grand jury was a "bunch of liberals" and that regardless of political persuasion, there's a "huge disaffection" with those who "might abuse their office."

"I would contend a grand jury full of tea party people might have come to this conclusion," McDonald said.